ST. GEORGE —A 24-year-old man arrested last year after officers found nearly 7 pounds of heroin during a traffic stop on Interstate 15 in Washington City has been sentenced to federal prison.
Eddye Hosue Fonseca, of Tepec, Mexico, who was arrested in June 2022, was sentenced in federal court on one felony count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, a charge he pleaded guilty to in November 2022, according to sentencing documents filed by federal prosecutors.
Fonseca was sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison during the hearing held before District Judge Robert J. Shelby on March 1. The judge also ordered that following the defendant’s release, Fonseca will remain on post-prison supervision for three years.
The case was filed in connection with a traffic stop on Interstate 15 in Washington City in June of last year, during which the officer noticed several air fresheners hanging from the rearview mirror as he spoke to the driver, Fonseca, who told police he did not have a valid driver’s license.
During the stop, the officer deployed his K-9 to conduct a free-air sniff around the perimeter of the car, which is when the animal alerted the possible presence of narcotics.
During a search of the trunk, officers recovered a total of six round bundles located in different areas: three were found inside a black portable speaker; two were tucked inside a pair of shoes found in a shoe box; and one was found in the pocket of a jacket located in a camouflage-style duffel bag.
All six bundles were similar in texture and appearance. Five were wrapped in electrical tape, while the sixth was wrapped in clear plastic. When one of the bundles was cut open, officers found the package contained a brown tar-like substance that tested positive for heroin during a field test conducted at the scene.
The bundles had a combined weight of nearly 7 pounds, according to federal documents.
Following the arrest, the case was picked up by federal prosecutors, and once he was indicted, the case filed in state court was dismissed.
Fonseca, who has remained in custody since his arrest, was turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Office following the hearing to be transported to the federal correctional facility as designated by the court.
The charges filed against the passenger, 30-year-old Filiberto Pacheco Rodriguez, were dismissed.
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